First, they are both to have an eye to the presence of their great Master which is in Heaven. God in his Nature is a Spirit, that is infinitely immense, filling Heaven and Earth, and yet not included in either. If man did indeed lye under the lively impressions of God's omniscience and omnipresence, what an awe would it put upon their spirits? how honest would it make them in the dark? This, this would make the Master reasonable, just and merciful; this would make the Servant faithful, diligent and constant in his obedience to his Master. What makes men to act like Devils, but this, a hope that God doth not see?1 What made Abraham so upright, but his walking before God? What kept David so unmoved, but his setting the Lord always before his eyes? I am persuaded, the greatest failures in either Master or Servant have their spring here, a secret root of atheism, and disbelief of God's eye and observation. What truth in all the Bible more clear than this, and yet what almost less believed? O what do men make of God? How do they rob him of his glory, and themselves of the truest motives of fidelity, activity and cheerfulness? Sirs, Is the hundred thirty ninth Psalm canonical Scripture or no? Can any hide any thing from God's eye? 2Do not his eyes behold the good and evil? Doth not he ponder the ways of men? Do you indeed believe this? What then is the meaning of falseness on all hands? It was no unjust complaint of the Moralist, when he said, that many dare not do that, the image of God being present, which they will do, God himself being present, hearing, seeing, and observing exactly all that they do. The all seeing eye of God is a good Motto; I would this were written upon our Doors, Counters, Counting Houses, Studies, over our Tables: I shall conclude this with an excellent one of Epictetus his sayings; When you are at home and have shut the doors, and are in the dark, remember you never say you are alone, but God is within, and he needs no Candle to see what you are doing.
First, they are both to have an eye to the presence of their great Master which is in Heaven. God in his Nature is a Spirit, that is infinitely immense, filling Heaven and Earth, and yet not included in either. If man did indeed lye under the lively impressions of God's omnisciency and omnipresence, what an awe would it put upon their spirits? how honest would it make them in the dark? This, this would make the Master reasonable, just and merciful; this would make the Servant faithful, diligent and constant in his obedience to his Master. What makes men to act like Devils, but this, a hope that God doth not see?1 What made Abraham so upright, but his walking before God? What kept David so unmoved, but his setting the Lord always before his eyes? I am perswaded, the greatest failures in either Master or Servant have their spring here, a secret root of atheism, and disbelief of God's eye and observation. What truth in all the Bible more clear than this, and yet what almost less believed? O what do men make of God? How do they rob him of his glory, and themselves of the truest motives of fidelity, activity and chearfulness? Sirs, Is the hundred thirty ninth Psalm canonical Scripture or no? Can any hide any thing from God's eye? 2Do not his eyes behold the good and evil? Doth not he ponder the ways of men? Do you indeed believe this? What then is the meaning of falseness on all hands? It was no unjust complaint of the Moralist, when he said, that many dare not do that, the image of God being present, which they will do, God himself being present, hearing, seeing, and observing exactly all that they do. The all seeing eye of God is a good Motto; I would this were written upon our Doors, Counters, Counting Houses, Studies, over our Tables: I shall conclude this with an excellent one of Epictetus his sayings; When you are at home and have shut the doors, and are in the dark, remember you never say you are alone, but God is within, and he needs no Candle to see what you are doing.
- 1Gen 17.1. Psal. 16.8.
- 2Jer. 23.24. Prov. 15.3. Prov. 5.21. Psal. 94.7, 9. Ar. Epict. 2. c. 8. [Greek or Hebrew] Ar. Ep. l. 1. c. 14. 1 Cor. 10.31. Rom. 6.16.Jer. 23.24. Prov. 15.3. Prov. 5.21. Psal. 94.7, 9. Ar. Epict. 2. c. 8. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Ar. Ep. l. 1. c. 14. 1 Cor. 10.31. Rom. 6.16.
